alligator

UF Study Shows Most Alligator Attacks On Humans Result From ‘Risky Behavior’

April 21, 2025Posted inFlorida News, Moving To Florida
An alligator inside Kennedy Space Center
An alligator inside Kennedy Space Center.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Florida Media Now

Florida’s subtropical climate and extensive wetlands provide an ideal habitat for the American alligator, a species so prevalent that it can be found in all 67 counties across the state. With an estimated population of 1.3 million, the alligator has become both a symbol of Florida’s natural heritage and a regular presence in its backyards, golf courses, and waterways. As urban development continues to encroach on these reptiles’ natural environments, it is more important than ever for residents and visitors to understand how to safely coexist with them.

Dolphins

What Killed The Dolphins? There May Finally Be An Answer

April 8, 2025Posted inFlorida News, Florida Wildlife
dolphins

In 2013, Florida’s Indian River Lagoon witnessed a significant and alarming increase in bottlenose dolphin deaths, with 77 individual dolphins—approximately 8% of the local population—succumbing to what was classified as an Unusual Mortality Event (UME). The Indian River Lagoon is a shallow-water estuary located along Florida’s east coast, stretching approximately 156 miles from Ponce de Leon Inlet near New Smyrna Beach southward through Brevard County, and on to Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County. 

REAL ID sample

Planning To Fly or Cruise Soon? Make Sure You Have REAL ID.

April 7, 2025Posted inFlorida News, Florida Travel, National News
Sample REAL ID for Florida
Sample REAL ID from Florida DMV

As of May 7, 2025- just one short month from now- significant changes will take effect regarding identification requirements for Americans. With the coming enforcement of the REAL ID Act, individuals who want to board US domestic flights or enter government facilities will need to possess a REAL ID-compliant form of identification (And yes, Florida’s cruise terminals count as a government facility). There are only a few exceptions, such as states that issue what is known as “Enhanced ID” – Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDLs) issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont.  The government says REAL ID requirements will be strictly enforced. Here’s how to make sure you are ready.

τ Coronae Borealis

Astronomers Say Star Will Go Nova Soon

April 7, 2025Posted inAviation and Space News, Florida News, Space News, Things to Do and See in Florida
τ Coronae Borealis going nova.
Visualization courtesy NASA

Astronomers worldwide are eagerly anticipating a rare celestial event: a star exploding. Even better, the explosion and its remnants will be visible to the naked eye, and it will be visible from Florida.

The event centers around T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), a binary star system located approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Corona Borealis. This system, comprising a white dwarf and a red giant, is expected to undergo a nova outburst in the very near future.

Steinbrenner Field

Tampa Bay Rays Open Their Home Season Tonight In A Minor League Park

March 28, 2025Posted inFlorida Sports, Things to Do and See in Florida

​The Tampa Bay Rays are poised to commence their 2025 season this afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, a temporary relocation necessitated by significant hurricane damage to their usual home, Tropicana Field. If the name Steinbrenner rings a bell, it is because the ballpark is owned by the New York Yankees and is named for their iconic former owner.

drought in florida

Florida’s Drought Continues

March 28, 2025Posted inFlorida News
Drought conditions.
Photo via https://www.tampabaywater.org/

It’s dry in a great deal of Florida — too dry. While warm, sunny days are perfect for beachgoers and theme park guests, a drought is bad for farmers and others who need regular rains to maintain their businesses and way of life. It’s also bad for wilderness areas of the state, with lower water levels in rivers, lakes, and aquifers, impacting water supplies while increasing the risk of saltwater intrusion and algae blooms in the water supply.

FHP

Bill In Florida State Legislature Takes Aim At “Super Speeders”

March 27, 2025Posted inFlorida News, Politics

Florida lawmakers are what might become a new Florida law, Senate Bill 1782 (SB 1782), a measure aimed at imposing stricter penalties on drivers who engage in extreme speeding, commonly referred to as “super speeders.” The bill, introduced by State Senator Jason W. B. Pizzo (D) Hollywood, seeks to deter reckless driving behaviors that have become increasingly prevalent on Florida’s roadways. Pizzo’s district covers parts of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.

A Florida Highway Patrol traffic stop. Photo by: Rusty Clark, Wikimedia Commons
A Florida Highway Patrol traffic stop.
Photo by: Rusty Clark, Wikimedia Commons
Blackbeard

Pirates Once Ruled Florida’s Waves

March 25, 2025Posted inFlorida History, Things to Do and See in Florida

Florida’s coastline has long been a magnet for treasure hunters, history buffs, and, let’s be honest, anyone who’s ever daydreamed about stumbling upon Pieces of Eight while digging in the sand. Central to these tales is the story of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, also known as the Plate Fleet. This fleet’s misadventures off Florida’s coast have left a legacy of sunken riches and countless stories. To this day, treasure hunters and metal detectorists alike search for lost gold and jewelry, and from time to time, they find it.

Blackbeard
Blackbeard
Florida Front Plate

Florida Bill Would Require Front License Plates In The Sunshine State

March 21, 2025Posted inFlorida News

Florida legislators are considering a bill that would require motorists to display license plates on both the front and rear of their vehicles. The proposal, introduced by Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), seeks to enhance the identification of vehicles involved in hit-and-run incidents. Gruters emphasized that many cameras capture only the front of vehicles, making rear-only plates insufficient for identification purposes.